I have a 1986 35hp Merc. Over the winter I dropped the lower unit, to have it pressure tested at my merc dealer. It had leaks around the shift shaft. They had to replace the bushing around thew shift shaft as well as the shaft itself. <br />I reinstalled the lower unit, and all seemed well, but I never checked to see if it went into gear. <br />Saturday I installed the motor and started it up, but It will not go into gear. I dropped the lower unit again, and by turning the shift shaft, in one direction I can get it to go into gear, the prop shaft will click when I turn it clockwise while I am standing behind the boat, if I turn it counter clockwise the drive shaft spins. I turn the shift shaft by hand, I can find neutral, then I keep turning and it goes into gear again. The only problem is that the prop shaft still clicks when turning clockwise and the shaft turns if I turn the propshaft counter clockwise. <br />Does anyone know where I am going wrong? When I first put it back together I had the lower unit in neutral (I think?) and the motor in neutral as well. That is what the shop manual said to do. A friend suggested that I put them both in gear, either forward or reverse and put it back that way. <br />Now I do not know what to do!!!
